dead quail - please advise

[JaeG]

You may have to use the 1/4 inch square mesh/hardware cloth. I've had this happen and it could only have been a rat where I live. Rats can climb wood very easily and if your quail was sleeping too close to the gaps in the wire the rat just grabs it through the wire. Traps can take awhile to catch the culprit and where there's one, there's always more.

I've also had to put plastic sheeting and insect mesh on my aviary (which has 1/4 inch mesh) after losing finch chicks and eggs to mice. I witnessed a mouse squeezing through the 1/4 inch gaps to escape after I caught it in there. I've been raising 4 finch chicks since they were a day old as they were attacked and they all have missing toes, one quite severely (I was very surprised he survived). The mice would've just kept coming back if I'd left them in the aviary. I naively thought mice just ate grains and seeds!

 

[chickengr]

I will set a trap tonight and post back if I catch something......

wear gloves when you set a trap. rats are too smart and will not come near if they smell humans. unfortunately.

I catched a few rats with a piece of cardboard and a glue for rats and mice (but I put it in the place where cats and dogs couldn't enter). good luck.

 

[prymly]

wear gloves when you set a trap. rats are too smart and will not come near if they smell humans. unfortunately.

I catched a few rats with a piece of cardboard and a glue for rats and mice (but I put it in the place where cats and dogs couldn't enter). good luck.

thanks for that advice - gloves at the ready!!

 

[prymly]

You may have to use the 1/4 inch square mesh/hardware cloth. I've had this happen and it could only have been a rat where I live. Rats can climb wood very easily and if your quail was sleeping too close to the gaps in the wire the rat just grabs it through the wire. Traps can take awhile to catch the culprit and where there's one, there's always more.

I've also had to put plastic sheeting and insect mesh on my aviary (which has 1/4 inch mesh) after losing finch chicks and eggs to mice. I witnessed a mouse squeezing through the 1/4 inch gaps to escape after I caught it in there. I've been raising 4 finch chicks since they were a day old as they were attacked and they all have missing toes, one quite severely (I was very surprised he survived). The mice would've just kept coming back if I'd left them in the aviary. I naively thought mice just ate grains and seeds!

that makes sense as the last quail was sleeping very close to the wire last night and that is where the feathers were.... - I have bought an electronic rat killer and will set it tonight and keep it going for about a week to see what happens....I have partly cleaned the hutch but it still smells of quail so I will leave it like that for a while..

 

[prymly]

You may have to use the 1/4 inch square mesh/hardware cloth. I've had this happen and it could only have been a rat where I live. Rats can climb wood very easily and if your quail was sleeping too close to the gaps in the wire the rat just grabs it through the wire. Traps can take awhile to catch the culprit and where there's one, there's always more.

I've also had to put plastic sheeting and insect mesh on my aviary (which has 1/4 inch mesh) after losing finch chicks and eggs to mice. I witnessed a mouse squeezing through the 1/4 inch gaps to escape after I caught it in there. I've been raising 4 finch chicks since they were a day old as they were attacked and they all have missing toes, one quite severely (I was very surprised he survived). The mice would've just kept coming back if I'd left them in the aviary. I naively thought mice just ate grains and seeds![/QUOTE

maybe I should put mesh along the wire side of the hutch - it is such a shame as my little grandson loves to feed the birds through the wire after we have gone to the park with his bucket to collect dandelion and clover (and buttercups).....

 

[JaeG]

I do sympathise! I can hardly see into my aviary now, but at least they are safe from marauding mice, and are more sheltered as we are heading for winter in my little corner of the world. Quail love clover! And our kids love our quail too. They are great birds for kids.

 

[prymly]

I will set a trap tonight and post back if I catch something......

I set the trap and caught ..................a slug. Hmmm, not known for their killer instincts so I will keep trying

 

[chickengr]

I set the trap and caught ..................a slug. Hmmm, not known for their killer instincts so I will keep trying

at least you got something, lol.

another good thing to kill mice and rats is to mix flour/chicken feed or similar with gypsum and to leave fresh water near. I found a stoned mouse who had his last dinner and got thirsty.